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“Neither Georgia nor Ukraine has started the war,” commented Giorgi Margvelashvili, Georgian President during a visit to Ukraine on February 20 to attend the Dignity March dedicated to the one-year anniversary of the Maidan events.

ProCredit Bank hosted a two-day workshop at its head office, in association with the Embassy of the Netherlands. The purpose of this unique workshop was to inform investors about new advanced solutions in greenhouse design.

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Beselia Presents Human Rights Action Plan for 2015-2016

Eka Beselia, Chairperson of The Committee on Human Rights and Civil Integration of the Parliament of Georgia welcomed Shombi Sharp, Deputy Head of UNDP and Eva Pastrana, Human Rights Project Manager of the EU delegation to Georgia at a Conference regarding the Action Plan for 2015-2016 on Human rights and Civil Integration held on 26 February at Radisson Blu Iveria hotel.

Ms. Beselia welcomed the latest conclusions on Georgia adopted by the EU delegation to Georgia, which point to progress in Georgia's human rights record and urged continued reforms and efforts to end impunity."Over the last two years, Georgia has undertaken deep and comprehensive reforms to entrench democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and we are very pleased to see our efforts recognized and supported by these important UN and EU bodies," said Beselia."We welcome the recommendations included in the report, and pledge to pursue further reforms to ensure the full protection of human rights in Georgia.” Considering all of the available material, parliament decided to recommend that all the violations which took place in this period are investigated.

“We have studied reports by international organizations and local bodies regarding specific violations,” Beselia said, adding that fundamental constitutional rights were violated and that it was systematic. “Violation of the right to live, inhumane and humiliating treatment, torture, physical abuse and deprivation of liberty, freedom of speech, the right to have just courts, the right to free assembly, the right to privacy and property rights,” she listed.

Free Democrats Resign: “Georgia’s Western Course under Threat”

Members of The Free Democrats (FD), the second oppositional party after United National Movement (UNM) in Georgian Parliament, have resigned from their parliamentary committee chairs.

In a statement released by FD, the Chair of the Financial-Budgetary Committee, Davit Onoprishvili, Chair of the Euro-Integration Committee, Viktor Dolidze, and Head of the Environment Protection Committee, Giorgi Tsagareishvili, are said to have left their positions on their own accord.

Zurab Abashidze, one of the leaders of FD and the Georgian PM’s special representative in relations with Russia, was dismissed from the Vice-Speaker position last week and replaced by GD-allied Gubaz Sanikidze.

Following the above events, another leader of The Free Democrats, Alexi Petriashvili, has stated that Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic course is under threat. His claims were based on a statement by Abashidze which suggested that Georgia has no perspective of becoming a NATO member in “one day or even two.”

“Our cooperation does not involve placing NATO military infrastructure in Georgia. There is no such plan,” said Abashidze. “NATO will not take such a step, since it would threaten regional security. The occupation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali represents the primary threat for Georgia’s territorial integrity.”